Phone Comparisons: Sony Xperia Z3+ vs Motorola Moto X Pure Edition

Introduction

Do we have a good one for you today – fan favorites, the Sony Xperia Z3+ goes up against the new Motorola Moto X Pure Edition. Has Motorola done enough with the next generation Moto X to compete with the likes of the Xperia Z3+? Which device has the better specifications, features and value to win – has Sony done enough with their Xperia Z series or has the lowly Moto X finally caught up to the other flagships. Let’s first take a look at what these two devices have in common.

There is not too much that’s similar between the Xperia Z3+ and the Moto X – they both use the IPS LCD display technology, but the Xperia Z3+ is smaller and only FHD compared to the QHD on the Moto X. The both use a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, but different models, although they both offer 3GB of RAM and a 32GB memory option and they both offer an microSD card slot for expansion. The Moto X also offers 16GB and 64GB options as well. The cameras match up almost perfectly – the Xperia Z3+ has a 20.7MP main camera and a 5.1MP front-facing camera (FFC), the Moto X uses a Sony 21MP sensor for its main camera and a 5MP FFC, and neither device offers OIS. They both have stereo front-facing speakers.

They certainly have the usual suspects – Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, NFC, a microUSB 2.0 for charging and data transfer, they both have some water resistance and they both have quick charge options and non-removable batteries.

Please take a deliberate look at the detailed Specifications Comparison chart below and here you will see just how these two great devices stack up against one another – click on the “View Full Comparison” link at the end of the chart to expand the details. After that, we will look at each individual device in greater detail and point out some of its pros and cons. From all of this information we will try to determine the winner based on specs and execution of design and functions.

Specifications

Sony Xperia Z3+

Sony announced this device as the Z4 in Japan, but to the rest of the world it will be the Xperia Z3+. The basic structure of Xperia Z3+ retains the trademark of Sony’s Z series with its beautiful metal and glass construction with minor changes in colors. Sony did some ‘housekeeping’ and cleaned up the outside edges by moving the charging port to the bottom of the device rather than on the side, and even though it is still waterproof, it no longer needs a sealed cover. They removed the magnetic charging pins on the side and then they consolidated the SIM card and microSD card slots into only one larger slot…nice refinements.

The Xperia Z3+ sports the same 5.2-inch IPS LCD FHD display of the Z3 with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and 424 pixels-per-inch (PPI) as its predecessor, with some improvements in brightness and technology. The Moto X bumps that up to a QHD display at 1440p with 520 PPI. Sony made a safe choice and went with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 64-bit 810 octa-core processor with four cores clocked at 1.5GHz and four clocked at 2.0GHz and an Adreno 430 GPU for graphics. The Moto X decided to go with the 64-bit Snapdragon 808 hexa-core processor. Both devices use 3GB of RAM and come with 32GB of internal memory and both offer expandable storage via a microSD card. The Moto X also offers 16GB and 64GB options as well.

Sony carried over the 20.7MP main camera from the Xperia Z3 with autofocus and LED Flash, which takes excellent pictures, although Sony still has not added OIS. The new Moto X uses a Sony 21MP main camera and no OIS. Sony did up the front-facing camera (FFC) on the Xperia Z3+ and went from a meager 2.2MP to a robust 5.1MP with a 25mm wide-angle lens for better group selfies and video chatting and this pairs up nicely with the 5MP in the Moto X.

The new Xperia Z3+ does offer better water and dust protection than the Moto X – IP68 certification for dust proofing and water resistance. It will come in Black, White, Copper and Aqua Green and will be running the latest Lollipop 5.1. We are looking at a price tag of about $600 off-contract.

Motorola Moto X Pure Edition

Motorola has redefined their flagship device as the Moto X Pure Edition (in the US) and the Moto X Style (outside the US). They made improvements in just about every area and you can still use Moto Maker to customize the device to suit your tastes, along with a multiple assortment of colored backs and cases. It is a larger device than last year’s Moto X – 5.2-inch display versus 5.7-inch – but still retains the full-metal frame and curved backing making it easy to hold.

On the Moto X Pure Edition, Motorola abandoned the AMOLED display and on this model went with the IPS LCD technology. It is 5.7-inches with a QHD resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and 520 PPI, while the Xperia Z3+ uses a FHD display and a respectable 424 PPI. Motorola went back to Qualcomm and put in the 64-bit Snapdragon 808 hex-core processor with one quad-core clocked at 1.44GHz and the other dual-core clocked at 1.8GHz. This goes up against the Qualcomm 64-bit Snapdragon 810 octa-core clocked at 2.0GHz in the Z3+. The Moto X comes with 3GB of RAM and either 16GB/32GB/64GB of internal memory with a microSD card slot to expand. The Xperia Z3+ has 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal memory with room to expand.

Motorola seems to understand finally just how important cameras are to the modern smartphone user, so they have increased the specs in this department by using a 21MP sensor with phase detection autofocus, dual-tone LED flash and an f/2.0 aperture along with a 5MP FFC with an f/2.0 aperture and a wide-angle lens for great selfies and video chatting. This goes up against an excellent 20.7MP main camera and a 5.1MP FFC on the Xperia Z3+. The Moto X comes with a slightly larger 3000mAh non-removable battery, compared to the 2930mAh non-removable battery in the Xperia Z3+ and the Moto X can use Motorola’s Turbo Charging.

Motorola included front-facing stereo speakers with Smartboost for a great new sound. This year’s Moto X is unlocked and can be used on all major networks – they call this “carrier freedom.” Using the pure Android experience – currently 5.1.1 Lollipop – you can be assured of getting the fastest updates. Motorola has given it a starting price of $399.99 and it will be available this fall.

…And The Winner Is…

Summary

This is another tough one to pick, but I am going with the new Motorola Moto X Pure Edition. It has a QHD display, a 64-bit processor, the same amount of RAM, three storage options, expansion available, a great camera area, dual stereo front-mounted speakers and it too is water resistant and able to use the Turbo Charger. It can be customized to suite your personality, great build quality and fast Android updates…all for only $399.99. You can have it all for $200 less than an Xperia Z3+.

The Sony Xperia Z3+ is a great device – beautiful to look at, takes some outstanding photos, sounds good, and is premium in every way, but it still has just has a FHD display and costs $200 more than the equally premium Moto X.